Administration of intrapericardial tissue adhesive after cardiac rupture and cardiac tamponade

Objective: To describe a series of patients treated with intrapericardial glue. Design: Case reports. Descriptive study. Patients: We describe the results obtained using the injection of a surgical intrapericardial adhesive in 19 patients who presented cardiac tamponade and shock after cardiac rupture. The technique was done using puncture and echocardiographic subxiphoid control. At the one-year follow-up, 5 patients had survived, with neither pseudoaneurysms nor constriction. One patient was injected with said adhesive in the right ventricular cavity. Conclusions: Pericardial drainage, followed by the administration of intrapericardial glue may be an attractive technique. This technique should be studied for its possible utility when faced with surgical impossibility. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.